Ballast weights for diving suits



June 14, 1938. E. TCPPER 2,120,420

BALLAST WEIGHTS FOR DIVING SUITS Filed Nov. 24, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l @6752? Z'Vadfi 72 2/ 0 June 14, 1938. TGPPER 2,120,420

BALLAST WEIGHTS FOR DIVING SUITS Fiied Nov. 24, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 14, 1938 UNITED STATES 2,120,420 BALLAST WEIGHTS FOR DIVING SUITS Ernst Topper, Berlin-Neukolln, or of one-half to William London, England Germany, assign- Hamilton Martin,

Application November 24,1937, Serial No. 176,333

In Germany No 11 Claims.

The invention relates to ballast weights for diving suits and to means for releasable attachment of the ballast weights upon a divers suit.

An object of the invention is to provide readily releasable attachment for ballast weights on diving suits.

A further object is to provide that detachment of ballast weights will not result in displacement upwards of the upper parts of the suit on the wearers bodywhich upward displacement may be dangerous and is in any event inconvenient.

A further object is the provision of a leg strap (i. e. strap passing between the legs to keep the suit down) which is unaffected by the presence or absence of ballast weights.

A further object is to simplify the attachment of ballast weights, and their release.

A further object is to enable a smaller shoulder-piece to be used than hitherto.

A further object is to provide release means for ballast weights, virtually embodied in one of the weights, and always readily accessible.

Other practical advantages may be understood from the following description.

One form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation with part broken away and in section on the lines |l of Figure 3.

Figure 2 is a similar View to Figure 1, in which the ballast weights are shown in released position.

Figure 3 is a front view of weights partly cut away.

As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, a represents a shoulder piece of a divers suit to which the helmet b is attached, transverse bars c are carried at the front and the back of the shoulder piece a by lugs d. The front and back ballast weights e and Z respectively are formed at the upper ends with hook-like extensions f, by which the weights are pivotally attached to, and are normally suspended by, the bars 0. The weights are initially positioned on the bars 0 by swinging them inwardly, and the hooks then retain the weights until they swing out to a position such as that of Figure 2. To retain the weights in the wearing positions shown in Figure 1, there is provided a belt 9* in two halves, one at each side of the body. This belt extends through a slot h in the rear weight e to which latter it is secured by a set screw 2'. The ends of the belt are formed with two metal eyes 7' which, as seen in Figure 3 overlap one another and pass into openings is formed in the weight I. In order to one of the ballast vember25, 1936 mutually lock these eyes, the weight I is provided with a locking member q which is pivoted to the weight I at m. The locking member q has an arcuate finger n which extends through the eyes 7, the locking member q being retained in the locking position by a manually slidable plunger o carried thereby and adapted to enter a recess p formed in the weight Z. The plunger 0 when inserted compresses the spring 111' by engagement with the plate p underlying the spring so as to exert a downward pressure on the plunger. The lower end of the plunger is provided with a ring 0 adapted, when the plunger is in operative position and under pressure of the spring to engage over a notched lug shown at o" in Figure 1, the spring p serving to prevent casual separation of the ring from the notched lug, to thereby hold the plunger in operative position. As can be readily seen, the ballast weights 6 and I can both be freed to fall away from the shoulder piece a by pulling the plunger 0 clear of the recess p and swinging the locking member q upwardly about its pivot m, to bring the finger 71 clear of the belt 9, when the weights and belt by suitable movement of the diver can be caused to fall away, as illustrated in Figure 2. Normally, the belt 9 is fastened by a buckle T which does not interfere with the locking device.

In order to prevent the diver from being deprived of vision due to the buoyant lifting of the helmet and shoulder piece after the release of the weights, and also to prevent the upper part of the diving suit from being forced upwards on the wearers body, a strap is provided which is fixed on the shoulder piece a of the divers suit and which passes between the legs. This leg strap s is fixed at both its ends to the shoulder piece a at points 2! and is independent of the ballast weights and serves only to maintain the shoulderpiece upon the shoulders of the diver and the helmet b fixed thereon and it therefore continues to serve this purpose when the ballast weights are absent. This strap s is so arranged that it does not pass over the shoulder piece a. and the latter does not need to be so large as usual. This gives a distinct advantage as a wide shoulder piece may be a hindrance or undue burden to the diver.

What I claim is:-

l. Ballast weight attachment and release means for diving suits, comprising cooperating attaching means on the weight and suit for supporting the weight, said attaching means providing for automatic release of the releasing means from the suit by relative movement of the weight through an are not exceeding and manually operable means for preventing such angular movement normally but permitting it on .00- casion.

2. Ballast weight attachment and release means for diving suits comprising hook-like weight supporting and attachment means constructed to provide for automatic release of the weight incident to relative movement of the weight through an arc not exceeding 90", and manually operable means for normally preventing such angular movement.

3. In combination with a diving suit, front and back ballast weights, hook-like attachment means therefor, said hook-like attachment means being automatically releasable by movement of the weights relative to the suit through an are not exceeding 90, and readily releasable connection between the said weights normally preventing such outward swinging.

4. In a diving suit a rigid shoulder piece, ballast weights, means for suspending said weights from said shoulder piece detachably, and strap means attached to said shoulder piece at front and back independent of said weights and adapted to hold down said shoulder-piece after detachment of said weights.

5. In a diving suit a rigid shoulder piece pivot suspension means thereon, ballast weights, attachment means for suspending said weights upon said pivot means and automatically releasable by angular movement of the weights through an are not exceeding 90, and manually releasable interconnection means between said Weights 9. Device according to claim '7, in which said release means comprises an element pivotally' carried by said one weight, and a manually releasable bolt for locking said element in its eyeengaging position.

10. A diving suit comprising in combination a rigid shoulder piece, front and back horizontal pivots carried thereby, front and back ballast weights, hook-like means on said weights to suspend them from said pivots and to release said weights if they swing away from the body of the suit, strap means attached to said rear weight, eyes in said strap means, lock means cairied by said front weight to engage said eyes, and means for manually releasing said lock means.

11. A diving suit according to claim 10, further comprising a leg strap attached at its ends to front and back of said shoulder piece.

ERNST ToPPER. 

